The Benefits of Friendship
by SaraNomed
Summary: Where there's a spark, there's bound to be fire. Three-part short story centered on the drama and possibly love that unfolds when J&J give in to that spark.
1. A New Angle

"Meowth! Give it more power!" demanded Jessie, seeing their machine was about to be overwhelmed by Pikachu's electric attacks.

Team Rocket's hot-air balloon hovered over the steep canyon walls, cutting their adversaries off from getting to them as they attempted to escape with Pikachu in tow. Their quarry was shut snugly inside a thick plastic orb, attached to the side of the balloon via a thick net of rubber-coated ropes and hooked up to cables and several spike-shaped transmitters, each of which were busy blasting arcs of Pikachu's harvested electricity at Ash's or his friends' Pokemon as they attempted a rescue. The device had been holding up beautifully, but the constant, unrelenting abuse it was taking was proving to be too much, and much to their dismay they could see it beginning to fail.

Fiddling with the control box, Meowth cried, "If I do dat it'll probably explode!"

"That's a risk we have to take!" replied the red-haired woman furiously, "I'm sick and tired of us losing every single time and so help me, this time will de different! Now do it!"

Shaking his head, Meowth cranked up the dials and fed as much power as he dared to the device, feeling the protesting vibrations from the box firmly clamped in his paws.

Firing up the boosters in preparation for a quick escape, James turned and said, "We're ready to go! Now let's end this and we'll get out of here!"

As he spoke the worst happened and their trap shattered, having finally been overwhelmed. Pikachu leapt away and was quickly scooped up by Ash's Talonflame, who swooped back toward their trainer. Meowth yowled as the control box shocked him with the backed-up electric energy and he threw it out of anger and pain.

" _NO! No no no no!_ " Jessie slammed her fists on the basket's rim, "We are not losing, not again! Hurry! We have to think of something!"

Meowth rubbed his aching paws together and asked, "Did we have a back-up plan?!"

Warily watching the people below, James shook his head, "I-I don't think so! Anyone? Anything?!"

Suddenly, Talonflame and Pikachu re-appeared, streaking toward them and all three felt their stomachs drop, knowing all too well what came next. Disgusted at leaving empty-handed but determined to escape with at the very least their dignity intact, Jessie spun the steering wheel and barked at her teammates to hit the boosters. James pounced and flipped the switch, and they came to life with a roar, the balloon lurching away and climbing quickly into the bright sky. Meowth hoisted a net-gun over his shoulder, leaping up to the rim and firing at the two Pokemon bearing down on them. The fire-bird managed to dodge it, however he was momentarily knocked off-course. The trio used this to their advantage, throwing several smoke-bombs to obscure the area and help them get away.

As they rose faster and farther away, James wondered aloud, "Did we lose them?"

Moments later, to their horror both bird and mouse burst through the smoke cloud, unleashing their attacks as they did so. A spiral of flames ripped across the side of their balloon, tearing it open as bolts of white-hot electricity engulfed the basket, shocking it's occupants and over-loading the boosters, causing them to explode and send the whole lot tumbling and shooting off into the distance. Screaming, they spun and flew through the air, the number of times they had been through this doing them no good as they soon started their inevitably painful descent toward the earth.

"Guuuys!" Jessie yelled as she scrambled for the balloon flapping around them, "Grab on! If we're lucky it'll help break our fall!"

Deciding it was well worth a shot, James and Meowth copied her, grabbing ahold of the balloon's material closest to them as they continued to fall-and they were abruptly jerked to a much slower pace as the way they held it had caused the middle to billow up and out, forming a make-shift parachute.

"Well, dis is an unexpected surprise!" remarked Meowth.

Jessie looked down toward the still rapidly approaching ground, "And a good one-for once! But we still have to try and maneuver this thing just right or else we'll-"

An errant wind kicked up, flipping them around and sending them crashing the final distance to the rocky turf.

"...still...have a...hard landing..." she finished with a pained groan.

A rustling to her left revealed Meowth wriggling out from underneath a large fold of fabric, unhurt and grinning.

"Heh, dis ting broke my fall beautifully!" he crowed.

Her own back-side throbbing Jessie scowled back, "Well, good for you! In fact, since you're so perky and energetic, you can go pick up our things that fell out back there!"

"Aww, but-"

"Go! And be quick about it!"

Getting to his feet, Meowth muttered several vague threats as he padded off. Jessie got up as well, albeit slower and stretching her sore muscles gingerly. James was already on his feet after having checked himself over for any broken bones or sprained joints-that was all they needed. Luckily, he had escaped relatively unscathed, save for his clothes being torn in a couple places plus a few scrapes and bruises, and was now trying to wrestle the balloon's basket to an upright position.

"Hey Jessie? Can you help me with this?" he asked wearily.

Brushing dirt and gravel from her clothes and hair, she snorted and replied in a voice oozing with sarcasm, "Are you okay Jessie? Are you hurt? Anything I can do? Why yes! I'm fine! Thank you _so_ much for asking!"

James started to open his mouth then snapped it shut again. At this point he could read her like an open book. He could tell from her voice and body language that this was one of those times where anything and everything he could say was wrong and that no matter what, he was going to get an earful. He pondered for a moment the response that was least likely to get him slapped, at least, and thus finally attempted to answer her.

"... _Are_ you okay, Jess?"

"What do you think?!" she snarled, whirling on her heel, "I'm filthy and sore and humiliated that we were beaten by that lousy brat and his friends for the millionth time _no I am NOT okay!"_

"Well then why did you-? See, I knew that no matter what I said, you were going to yell at me so I thought I'd just start trying to get ourselves together here!" he gave up his fight with the basket to turn and face her, crossing his arms, "I knew you weren't hurt that bad because if you were, you would have said something!"

Stomping closer to him she huffed, "You could have at least asked anyway!"

"You never ask if _I'm_ okay!"

"Yes I do-sometimes. Okay not often but that's-!"

"Don't give me grief over something that you don't do, either!" Mirroring her, James took a few steps forward so that they were even closer.

Challenging him, Jessie got closer still, "Are you _really_ going to be a cry-baby about this?!"

"Maybe!"

"You really need...to..."

She trailed off as in that moment, it abruptly hit them both that they were now, literally and figuratively, toe-to-toe. Only inches apart, they were close enough to hear each other's breathing and practically feel the body heat coming off the other. They grew quiet, mesmerized and feeling that same thrilling, terrifying attraction they had been feeling lately flare up again, so powerful it had rendered them temporarily speechless. His scent, laced with dirt and sweat and adrenaline, filled her lungs and made her knees weaker than she felt they had any right to be. He stared back, noting the slightly softened, odd expression in her beautiful blue eyes, a blue so deep he could get lost in them. Moving almost in slow motion, hearts racing, they wound their arms around each other as they tilted their faces together.

"What do you think you're doing..?" she murmured, lips so close to his she could feel his breath.

"I could ask you the same..." he almost whispered.

For the better part of the last few months, they had been fighting off the slowly growing, almost magnetic pull they felt toward each other. More than once, in a moment of celebratory hugs or tango, adrenaline and excitement up and bodies pressed together, it had become so over-powering they had nearly given in. It seemed the more they tried to fight it off or ignore it, the stronger that pull became. And now it finally came to a head as they pulled each other close and pressed their lips together, letting all the pent-up longing go. She tangled her fingers in his silky lavender hair, pulling him tighter against herself as he slid his hands from her shoulders to her hips, acutely aware of every curve of her body molded into his. Emboldened, she slipped her tongue past his lips to play with his, a move which caused him to inhale sharply and his own knees to wobble, so much so that he had to shift his feet apart to regain balance-and promptly dropped to the ground with a yelp.

Jessie was so caught off-guard she was momentarily frozen with her hands still where his neck had just been, before blinking and looking down at him sprawled in the dirt, one leg ankle-deep in a hole and rubbing his sore hip.

"What the-?!" he cried indignantly.

"Oh c'mon!" she whined, "Where did that come from?!"

As she spoke several Diglett popped up from another nearby hole and regarded them for a few seconds before disappearing again, a wise move as a nanosecond later a stone whizzed right through where their heads would have been.

Clenching her fists in frustrated rage Jessie spat, "Stupid Digletts! One of these days I'm going to-!"

"A little assistance here please?" groaned James, reaching up.

"Oh! Sorry! Right! Here..." she grasped his hands and helped tug him to his feet.

They stood awkwardly for several moments, glancing everywhere but at each other, realizing that the heat of the moment was gone and feeling cold reality settling back in.

Jessie finally broke the silence by clearing her throat and saying, "So..."

"So..." James coughed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at his feet.

"I guess we answered that question."

"What question exactly?"

Jessie's face broke into a smirk, and she stepped up to him, walking two fingers up his chest, "If there was anything to this."

"I think we both know that I'm a lover, not a fighter." James grinned shyly, nonetheless throwing her a wink.

Ignoring, or trying to ignore, the fluttering in her stomach, not to mention in other places, Jessie casually layed her arms on his shoulders as he let his hands rest on her hips, "I suppose next time we really should-"

A loud, irritated voice broke into their little bubble, "Heeey!"

They froze, turning to see Meowth dragging several pieces of their lost equipment as he continued to rant at them, "Youse two have had more den enough time to celebrate our survivin'! I've been doin' all dis work and de least youse could do is get de balloon up n' runnin' or somethin'!"

Quickly backing away from her partner, Jessie snapped back, "Oh, get over it fur-ball! We're working on it!"

"Yeah, it sure looked like it!" Meowth said, breaking into a toothy sneer.

Going back to the balloon's basket and regarding it with a resigned sigh, James added, "Work now, fight later maybe?"

That evening, they managed to find shelter at a Team Rocket safe-house deep in the woods that was, thankfully, unoccupied for the time being. This was a stroke of luck they hadn't had in quite some time, and they intended to take advantage. Though simply furnished, the place was none the less quite nice, with a large bathtub, ample kitchen amenities, two decent beds, and a heavy, high-quality dining table and chairs obviously swiped from somewhere quite nice. After getting himself some food, Meowth announced he was going night-fishing and not to wait up for him. Grabbing his fishing pole and a basket, he padded out the door with a snide remark regarding their being alone and slammed said door ahead of a frying pan bouncing off the door-frame where his head had been. The remaining two-thirds of their team got some food themselves, and after some watching part of a terrible game-show on the small, snowy television, all the while criticizing the contestants and declaring that surely they would have gotten the right answers, Jessie stood, stretching.

"I'm getting a shower," she said, "If you need the bathroom-"

Waving a hand, well used to this and knowing what her next words were going to be, James replied cheerfully, "I know, I know; use it now because you're going to be a while! I'm fine. Go for it."

With a quick lick of her lips, Jessie was about to ask if he wanted to join her, but at the last second thought better of it. As much as part of her wouldn't mind that, after their previous encounter, she wasn't entirely certain if she could behave herself-and she wasn't quite sure if either of them were ready for that just yet. She suddenly found herself pondering how well those uniform pants of his disguised what was underneath them; she had gotten a generous hint while pressed against him earlier. Turning away so he wouldn't see her blush she made her way to the bathroom.

As she sauntered away, James couldn't help but watch, noting the sway of her hips and the perfect s-shape her figure made while she-

Shaking his head, he then vigorously rubbed his eyes and finally sat still with his hands still over his face, trying to clear his head. He stayed there for several minutes, hearing the shower running and trying not to picture her in there, the hot water running over her perfect body, long silky hair draped around her curves...

Stumbling to his bag, he fished through it and plucked out a glass bottle, then settled himself at the sturdy dining table, taking several generous swallows.

Tapping it on the table-top, he failed to fight back the tears silently running down his cheeks as he chastised himself, "You idiot...like she'd _ever_ want to be with a loser like _you_..."

After her shower, Jessie slipped into a night-gown and her robe, then wandered back toward the kitchen/dining area intent on raiding the fridge for a bedtime snack. Rounding the corner, she spotted James at the dining table, leaning on his elbows and staring blankly ahead. He had shed his jacket and left it in a heap upon the couch, most unlike him; usually he would neatly fold and put it away in his bag. The pieces of paper upon which they had scribbled ideas while eating earlier were still sitting where they had left them, as were their used dishes. She sighed, wishing he had at least put them in the sink. Upon getting closer, she spotted the half-empty bottle of liquor next to him and bristled; he had said he was going to stop drinking, at least for the most part.

Stomping around the table to face him, she planted her hands on her hips, "What have I told you about this?!"

"I think I'm allotted one vice." he muttered, lifting the bottle and taking a long sip, his face lightly flushed and obviously already affected by the alcohol.

"You're in _Team Rocket_ , you moron. I'd say that's one hell of a vice right there."

He raised one eye-brow and leaned back in his chair, "Why, my dear Jessie! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were worried about me!"

She stuck out her lower lip, "I'm also worried about our budget."

"I'll make you a deal", he said sarcastically, making a spiral-motion with one finger, "You stop buying that specialty conditioner for that mane of yours, and I'll stop buying this! Sound fair?"

"Why you-!" she turned away, then spun back around, "That's a necessary expense! This 'mane' of mine is part of my uniform, who I am even, thank you very much! I could never give up on it's care!"

He raised the bottle in a toast gesture, "Then I suppose we're at a stalemate."

Exhaling loudly, Jessie glared him down for a moment before snatching the bottle from his hand and plopping down in the nearest empty chair, "Well, I suppose if you're going to blow our money, I might as well get something out of it!"

"By all means, milady." he sighed, watching as she took a couple gulps.

Eyes widening, she lurched forward and started coughing violently. James reached out and patted her back sympathetically as she continued to hack, finally regaining her breath enough to speak.

"How in the world do you drink this cheap crap!? It feels like you're drinking straight rubbing alcohol or something!"

"You were just giving me a hard time for buying it at all. If I spent any more, you'd get even madder at me." he huffed.

She rolled her eyes, "Touche..."

He gestured for the bottle and she handed it back, pulling a face as he took another sip. They sat quietly for several minutes, taking the occasional glance at the still-running television but mostly lost in their own thoughts. Jessie's vague attention wandered from her partner, to a faded landscape print on the wall, and finally to the roughly sketched plans in front of her. Most of them were impractical or nearly impossible, but a few had a glimmer of promise. Her thoughts turned then to a point, seemingly a lifetime ago, back when they were just starting out as full-fledged members of Team Rocket, when they had been full of unbridled enthusiasm and promise, when they had the world by the tail and everything seemed to be going their way. It all seemed like ancient memories now.

"Remember back when we were good?" she found herself blurting out.

James paused with the bottle half-way to his lips, then set it back down to smile wistfully at her, "Of course I do. I remember when we were the best, most promising new agents."

"...What happened to all that?"

"Hmmm...I'm really not sure."

Jessie slumped over onto the table, resting her head on her folded arms, "I can think of one thing in particular...a small, yellow thing..."

"When you think about it Jess, we still are the best!"

She stopped absently playing with one of the papers to look up at him curiously, "And how do you figure that one?"

Shrugging, he offered, "We're the best in perseverance? Determination?" he flicked his bangs, "Fashion sense?"

She chuckled, agreeing that he was certainly right on at least that, slowly stopping as she realized something. Here _he_ was, depressed enough to be drinking it away, and still he was trying to lift _her_ spirits. She wasn't sure if this made her feel better or worse. Her eyes falling on the bottle in his hand, she reasoned that if one of them was going to be drunk and miserable, they might as well be drunk and miserable together.

Reaching out, she said, "Give me that."

"Hey!" he pulled the bottle away as she tried to grab it, relenting after a moment and handing it over, "Thought this stuff was too hard for you!"

"For your information," she quickly knocked back a shot's worth, eyes watering but keeping her composure, "I can handle much harder things than this!"

He felt his face redden at that, resisting the urge to ask her to elaborate, instead snorting, covering his mouth and looking away. Jessie raised her eyebrow at his reaction before realizing what had just happened.

" _James!_ " she sputtered.

"Hey, y-you said it!"

"Well I didn't expect you of all people to..."

Their eyes met, both feeling that spark, that heat well up between them again, though even stronger than before; emerald and sapphire locked in a battle of strength that both were bound to lose. James swallowed hard, glancing away and then back to her, feeling at once trapped and yet aroused by her sudden come-hither gaze.

Jessie felt something within her snap, and her voice dropping to a sultry purr, she asked, "Remember when we first met at the Team Rocket training academy?"

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, "You mean when we met again?"

"Yeah..." slowly standing, she stepped closer to him, "Want to know what I was thinking?"

"What?"

Reaching out, she ran her fingers down the side of his face, causing him to inhale sharply, "One; how the hell did we end up in the same place again? Two..." she rolled her shoulders, letting her robe drop to the floor and slid herself onto his lap, straddling him, "How did _James_ , scrawny, dorky James, that same kid who looked ridiculous in that too-big coat you swiped, become so handsome?"

Unable to stop himself from trembling, heart racing, James wondered, though he well knew the answer, "Wha-what are you doing..?"

"Oh come on, even you're not that dense..." she said, running her hands down his arms before pressing herself closer to him and leaning in to whisper in his ear, "I want you..."

An involuntary whimper escaped his throat, "J-Jessie...I..."

"What's the matter?" she pulled back and pouted, running her hands along her own figure, "Aren't I sexy? Don't you want me too?"

 _'Dear Arceus yes'_ he thought and nearly of experience had trained him to instinctively give the answer that was the least likely to get him thrashed, yes his eyes still gave him away as he answered meekly, "B-but...we've-I've uh...is it really a good idea to-"

Grabbing his face, she grinned devilishly, her voice nonetheless stern, "Listen up...we both want this; you can't hide it," brushing her lips against his she murmured, "Besides, are we not part of Team Rocket? We _take_ what we want..."


	2. Lust, Love and Bad Luck

There was nothing in the world he longed for more then this, and feeling his last shred of resistance break, James threw his arms around her, pulling her tighter to him and crushing his lips to hers. Mildly startled but mostly pleased, Jessie hummed, again letting her tongue nudge his as she slid her hands underneath his shirt, feeling his muscles tense under her touch and pulled it over his head to toss it casually on the floor. All sense of restraint gone, hearts racing and filled with lust and adrenaline they explored each other, breathlessly tasting, touching, both wondering why this had taken so long. James stood suddenly, still holding onto her as they stumbled backwards and Jessie was pushed against the table. She moaned into his kiss, lifting one leg as he grasped her thigh and she rubbed herself against him. Determined for once to not be a coward, James cleared the table with one sweep of his arm, the papers fluttering away and dishes clattering to the floor, one glass shattering into a thousand glittering shards, not that either of them noticed nor would care anyway as he moved his mouth to her neck, grasping her by the rear and hoisting her onto the table's edge, earning an approving groan. Breaking away, she fumbled with undoing his belt and pants with one hand while tugging her nightgown up higher and deftly slipping off her panties with the other, after a moment his hands joining hers. Free now of any fabric between them, he again pressed his lips to hers, one arm around her, the other gripping the table's edge as he pressed himself inside her, gently, gradually, but at the unspoken plea of her body movements and sounds he buried himself completely, prompting her to tilt her head back and longingly moan his name, somewhere in the still rationally-functioning part of her brain noting that she had definitely been right. Breath ragged, they moved together and he wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to last; between her soft cries, how amazing she felt and her reverent expression letting him know just how much he was pleasing her it was nearly too much. Soon enough however, she bit her lip and practically begging, pleaded for more. All too happy to oblige, he grabbed the table with both hands as she braced herself on her elbows and he increased his pace against her, capturing her mouth with his, feeling more like a man than he had in ages. Just when he was sure he couldn't take anymore, she arched her back, thrusting her hips into his and threw her head back, crying his name as she climaxed. A moment later he joined her, burying his face in her chest, groaning loudly and he had to grasp the table even harder to keep from losing his balance as his whole body shook.

Slowly coming back down to earth, they were still for a few moments, save their rapid breathing and occasional kiss. Finally, almost reluctantly, he pulled away, swiftly yanking his clothes back into place as she too quickly covered herself. Taking her hand, he helped her slide off the table and led them backwards to the couch, where they flopped down in a tangled heap and he folded her in his arms, gently stroking her back as she rested her head on his shoulder.

They lay quietly for several minutes before Jessie, making little circles on his chest with one finger, grinned and hummed, "We should do this more often..."

Still euphoric, James thought aloud with his own long, contented sigh,"I was thinking the same thing!" then her words sank in and he lifted his head in surprise, "Wa-what? Really?"

"Well, why not?" she cooed, raising her own head to look at him and brushing a few strands of sweaty hair from his eyes, "We both _obviously_ enjoyed that, and I've been thinking that we need something to wind down occasionally, relieve some stress...can you think of a better way?"

"Not really...and it's cheaper and healthier than alcohol!" he replied with a little smile.

"Good! That being said, I think we need to establish some sort of rules here," sitting up completely she raised three fingers, "One, no falling in love. That would just over-complicate things and we have a job to focus on. Two, only a couple times a week at most. We need to work hard to win, not 'reward' ourselves for failure. And three, no telling the cat!"

Pulling a disgusted face, James said, "Certainly not! But how are we going to get rid of him? He's not that stupid, and there's only so many excuses we can give."

"We'll figure something out-he's not that bright either. So," she stood and held out her hand, "Deal?"

Standing as well, he nodded and shook her hand, "Deal."

"Perfect!"

Using the grip she had on his hand she tugged him closer to plant another kiss on his lips before letting go and spinning around, "Okay, now that that's settled," she cast a disgusted glare at the jumble of papers and dirty, broken dishes on the floor, "This mess has to be cleaned up before Meowth gets back and starts asking questions."

Picking up his shirt and pulling it back on, James smirked, "We could always say a Beedrill was in here and that's from trying to chase it out-then we get him to clean it up to thank us for saving all our lives!"

Jessie glanced over her shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow, "That is so ridiculous it just might work...still, we'd better get it," she sniffed her arm and grimaced, "Ugh, now I'm all sweaty and smell awful again! I'm getting another shower-there's a broom and dustpan in the closet. Don't cut yourself James!"

"Hey! How come I have to clean it up?!" he protested.

She planted her hands on her hips, "Well, you were the one who knocked all that stuff off in the first place! Tell you what," she walked away, pausing in the bathroom doorway to turn and look at him, grinning coyly, "You get that cleaned up and you can join me!"

His eyes widened slightly, face reddening, which Jessie found adorably ironic considering what had just happened, and said, "Really? Are you sure-"

"Clean that up and get in here! I could use some help with my back."

"O-okay!" he made a beeline for the closet as Jessie chuckled and closed the door behind her.

When Meowth finally returned to the cabin later that night, empty-handed and sore from the encounter he had had with a highly temperamental Qwilfish, he found the lights were still on and he could almost swear that the area near the table was shinier than the rest of the wooden floor. Dropping his fishing supplies by the door, he locked it and hearing voices, looked up to see his human partners curled up together on the couch, fast asleep with the television still going. Rolling his eyes, Meowth thought to himself, 'Hmph! Bet dey just sat dere all dis time an' didn't do nothin'. Buncha bums.'

Several days later, after another failed attempt to catch their electric yellow target, they set up camp for the night. James was sitting cross-legged on his sleeping bag with a section of their balloon across his legs, carefully mending some small tears in the fabric. Meowth was fetching some water from a stream a ways off and Jessie had just returned with an armful of firewood.

Walking by, she casually flung a small paperboard box onto James' lap and said, "Here. You're in charge of these."

Curiously, he picked it up and it only took a moment's glance to realize what he was holding. Face flushed, he quickly stuffed it under his sleeping bag.

"Where-where did you get them?!"

"Stole them from town earlier," she replied nonchalantly, sitting down near the fire and adding a few pieces of wood to it, "I wasn't going to _pay_ what they were charging for them. So much for being cheaper than alcohol."

"But still healthier, right?"

She gestured to him using the stick she had been using to poke at their fire, "Right."

Moments later he yelped loudly and dropped his needle and thread, violently shaking his hand. Jessie looked up to see him stick his index finger in is mouth and glare sourly at his lap.

"What happened? Stab yourself-again?" she asked.

His gaze flicked up to her and he removed his finger long enough to grumble, "Maybe." before popping it back.

Shaking her head slightly, she got up and went over to sit beside him, "How bad is it? You going to live?" she added with a sarcastic grin.

"Very funny!" he sniffed, taking another glance at his wound and seeing that it had stopped bleeding, picked his supplies up to continue his repair work.

Taking ahold of a handful of the fabric, Jessie held it up and stretched it out slightly near where he was mending, "Here; I'll help you with it so you don't kill yourself." She tossed him a wink to let him know she was just teasing.

"...Thank you." he said after a slight pause, not used to her assistance with things like this.

They chatted casually for a couple minutes, before Jessie sighed and asked, "Someday we're going to win...right?"

Looking at her with a firm nod, James replied, "Absolutely!"

Jessie glanced up at him and his slightly lop-sided, confident grin and couldn't help but smile herself. Setting the fabric down, Jessie leaned her head against him as he slipped an arm around her. Pointing to a particular group of stars, James remarked how it kind of looked like a Wobbuffet, then went on to gesture to several others. This has become a hobby of his lately; finding various Pokemon or objects in the night sky, seeing if he could find new ones even if it meant re-using the same groups of stars. Jessie found it silly yet endearing, much like many things he did. She raised her eyes to look at him. The dark surrounding them made his hair appear a deeper blue-purple, but the fire reflected in his eyes made them shine. He really was incredibly handsome, and suddenly she found it odd to think about; that this man who had been her friend and partner seemingly forever had now become her lover as well.

"...and well, there's a couple stars missing, so it looks like the ears are gone or something, but I think it still works. What do you think?" he turned to her and asked.

Sitting up, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, startling him for a moment.

Pulling back to smirk suggestively at him she purred, "How long you think Meowth is going to be gone?"

The next several weeks passed much like usual, with them trailing Ash and his friends, taking care of smaller side jobs whenever such a thing presented itself or they were assigned one, and when the opportunity was ripe, trying to catch their long-sought quarry. Also per usual, they managed to fail at that last goal every time. Now, however, there was one fundamental difference in what Jessie had come to call their 'therapy sessions'. To their surprise, it had been easier than they thought to temporarily rid themselves of their furry friend; when unable to come up with a 'good' reason, they simply praised his fishing skills and asked if he could go catch their supper, promising him the largest portion for his effort. It worked beautifully.

Soon, they also found that restraining themselves to a couple times a week proved to be more difficult than they had anticipated. They both, though neither could even admit it to themselves just yet, had found a deeper solace and refuge in each other's arms from the miseries of their lives than they could have imagined. They began to look forward to and even crave not just the physical pleasure and stress relief, but the comfort and, at least temporary, sense of peace that came with their coupling. They even started opening up about a little more about things they usually kept tightly locked away. James pointed out the ancient, faded scars across his back from Jessiebelle's whip before he ran away as a boy, breaking down into tears as he related how when he had shown his own parents the fresh, raw welts their response had been to 'man up' and that if he acted properly she probably wouldn't do that. Jessie held him to her chest as he clutched their blanket, stroking his hair soothingly until his ragged sobs subsided.

In her own turn, Jessie told him more about what she could remember from her own childhood; much of it she couldn't recall, something she suspected her mind had done for it's own protection. She told him of how desperately poor she had been, how her sweet mother had worked so hard to make even the most meager of meals seem like a feast, the times she would brush Jessie's long hair before bed and tell her she was more beautiful than any fairy-tale princess, how she would hold Jessie and rock her by their tiny stove, keeping them both warm until she fell asleep, singing songs of lovely, glittering, faraway things. Her eyes watering, Jessie then told how one day, she came home looking shaken and upset, and told her daughter that she had to go away for a bit, and pulling her onto her lap told not to worry because she was going to be back. Tears finally falling, Jessie finished the story saying that, of course, she never did. James tried to reach out and hold her, but she stood suddenly, wrapped herself in a blanket, punched the nearest tree and stomped off. A short time later she returned, eyes red and swollen from crying and simply plopped down next to him, burying her face in his neck as he gingerly pulled her close.

It was one of these nights not long afterward that they lay tangled together, breath still rough and the firelight bouncing off their sweat-covered skin. Reaching for a thin blanket, James pulled it over them and flopped his head back onto his sleeping bag, exhaling loudly.

Head pillowed on his chest and wriggling slightly with gratification, Jessie said, "Wow, you really put an impressive amount effort into that!"

"I aim to please, milady." he chuckled.

They giggled, pulling each other closer and basking in the afterglow they had grown to love. James kissed the top of her head and sighed, folding one arm behind his head, the other wrapped around her shoulders. She yawned loudly and wriggled again, settling her own body comfortably against his, one arm draped across his chest and snuggling her face into his shoulder. They lay quietly for a little while, enjoying the warm, quiet, star-speckled night and each other's simple presence. James looked down at his partner, long hair loosely draped around her, shiny in the flickering light from the fire, her deep blue eyes half-open and a peaceful, content smile on her face. Though he couldn't see the rest of her body at the moment, lately he had become quite aware of every inch of her gorgeous form.

 _'Sweet Arceus she's stunning...'_ he thought with a slight smile, _'She's the strongest, most beautiful, determined and amazing woman I've ever known. All I want is for her to be happy, for us to finally succeed so she can have the things she's always wanted, to be by her side forever...because...'_

His body stiffened, and he prayed she wouldn't notice it, nor the tears forming in his eyes as he fought back the words forming in his head, the ache in his bones and the burning deep in his soul he had been ignoring and desperately fighting off finally manifesting itself into coherent thoughts, and he cursed his traitorous heart as the words pushed through to the front of his brain, the tears now spilling down his cheeks.

 _'...because I love her...'_


	3. An Understanding

Jessie looked sideways at James and raised her eyebrow as he continued to sulk and pick at his breakfast. It was a week later, and ever since that night by the fire he had been acting strangely-well, stranger than usual, Jessie mused. His appetite had been terrible, he acted depressed more than usual, and the one time they had had sex he kept his eyes shut most of the time, barely even seeming to be there and Jessie had distinctly felt and heard him crying afterward, try to hide it as he might. She made a mental note to find out once and for all what the problem was later.

Licking his own plate clean and smacking his lips, Meowth eyed James' half-eaten food and wondered, "Ya gonna eat dat Jimmy?"

In response, James sighed and held his plate out to the feline, who happily took it and slurped up the dish's contents. Letting out a burp, Meowth asked Jessie about her own plate, who glared at him and quickly stuffed her remaining pieces of egg into her mouth.

After getting their sleeping bags rolled up, Jessie glanced down at their bucket of water and suddenly came up with a plan. Getting closer, she 'accidentally' gave it a little kick when her partners weren't looking and it toppled, spilling everywhere.

"Uh-oh!" she said, "Looks like we need some more water!"

Meowth flattened his ears, "And I ain't fetchin' it! I did te last few times!"

Lifting the bucket, Jessie replied, "I was going to get it. Hey James! Come with me. We could use some more firewood too."

The lavender-haired man looked up from where he was sitting and with another sigh, got to his feet and followed her. They got a short distance into the woods, far enough Jessie was sure Meowth couldn't hear them, before she whirled on her heel and pointed at him.

"Okay James; _what_ is going on with you?!"

Mildly startled, caught off-guard, James stammered, "Wha-what?"

"Don't give me that!" Jessie scoffed, "You know exactly what I'm talking about! Everything's been fine and then suddenly a week ago boom! You're being all mopey and cranky and you even turned me down-a couple times! What's going on?"

He started to open his mouth to answer but snapped it shut again. He couldn't tell her the truth; he just couldn't.

Instead, he offered lamely , "I...haven't been feeling well. I think I'm getting sick."

Her eyes narrowed and he instinctively flinched, knowing she could see right through him and half expecting a slap.

"If you're going to lie to me, the least you could do is try and come up with a good one!" she growled.

 _'Well, I'm not entirely lying...I really don't feel well...'_ he bitterly thought, then aloud said, "I-I really don't think that...I can..." he trailed off, dropping his gaze to a nearby rock.

Jessie felt her meager patience run out, and hurling the bucket to the ground exploded at him, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!? I know something is wrong! Everything has been going along great and then all of a sudden you start this crap! What happened?! What changed? Tell me, _now_!'

Feeling his eyes start to well up, and too miserable to argue, James simply continued to stare helplessly at his feet while she raged at him.

"I've given you everything! M-my body, my trust, my secrets-I've told you things I've never told anyone else! All that and you can't even give me a reason for how you've been acting?!"

Tears blurring his vision, he thought to himself, ' _I've given you all that..and my heart too.'_ but still, even with her demands couldn't find the words he needed.

Glaring back at him and awaiting some sort of answer, seeing the tears stream down his face and how he was now completely withdrawn with his eyes tightly shut, Jessie reflected on her own words and realized something; had he not done the same for her? Feeling her anger begin to cool, she drew a deep breath and tried a different approach.

"James?" she asked more softly, "What's wrong?"

He opened his eyes and slowly looked up at her., still expecting an attack at any moment. However, when he saw her calm expression and body language he relaxed, straightening himself and wiping his sleeve across his face.

"I don't know if I should say..." he finally said.

With a huff, Jessie crossed her arms and scuffed the heel of her boot on the ground, trying to stay calm, "I think you should."

Cautiously, he stepped slightly closer to her, "Would you...believe me if I said I can't tell you right now, but I will, soon, I promise. Can you trust me one more time?"

"I suppose I'll have to," she said more curtly than she had intended, and seeing the pain on his face again softened her tone, "But I wish you could tell me now."

"I will. Just, please let me do it my own way."

Jessie let out a long, exasperated sigh but nodded finally, giving him a half-hearted smile, "Alright."

Lifting the bucket, she thrust it into his hand, "Here. You can go get the water; it'll give you some time to think."

With that she whirled on her heel and started back toward camp, stooping to gather some loose pieces of wood as she went. James stood there unmoving for a few minutes, lost in his own mind before slowly trudging off toward a nearby stream as he said to himself, "I'm afraid it's going to take more time than you'd like, dear Jessie..."

As it turned out, she didn't have that long to wait.

A mere two days after her and James' argument, the group was setting up camp for the night after a successful heist earlier that day. All were in high spirits, glowing with pride from their victory and happily chatting as they went about their individual tasks.

"Didja see dat guard's face when I spoke up?" sneered Meowth as he prepared their fire.

"I'm not sure if he was more confused or scared!" Jessie answered while typing up a report on their laptop.

As he pounded tent stakes into the soft earth with a rock, James said with a grin, "You might say the cat got his tongue!"

This caused all three to burst out in laughter, and it took a minute for them to calm down. Still chuckling, James glanced up at Jessie, one hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, the other wiping a tear from her eye. He trailed off as it struck him how utterly beautiful she was in that moment, blue eyes sparkling and cheeks lightly flushed, relaxed and enjoying a moment of simple happiness. Nearly overcome with emotion, he swallowed hard and decided that this was it; he was ready to tell her his secret, and probably ruin everything in the process, but she deserved the truth, even if it broke his own heart.

Exhaling theatrically, he stood and said, "After a day like today, we deserve a good meal!" he turned to Meowth, "Meowth? Would you care to catch us some fish? I'll prepare the rest, and per usual, the Pyroar's share is yours for the effort."

Holding their box of matches, Meowth grinned knowingly. He had figured out their little scheme a while ago, especially after once having the misfortune of returning while they were still in the middle of their amorous activities. Hearing the strange noises, he had cautiously peered through the brush, and immediately wishing he hadn't, had trotted off for another length of time before finally making his way back. Ever since then, he had gone along with their 'generous' offer, playing dumb and keeping their secret to himself, intending to use it for either blackmail or sheer humiliation at some later date.

Setting the matches down and picking up his fishing supplies, the feline nodded and said as he walked off, "Suuuuure ting Jimmy! One seafood dinna, comin' up!"

Jessie glanced at him with a slight smirk, waiting until Meowth's footsteps vanished before speaking up, "Really now?"

His resolve faltering now, James sighed, "I've thought about it, lost sleep over it, and now I'm ready to tell you..."

Eyebrow raising slightly as she realized what this was about, Jessie stood as well and approached him, "About time. Well?"

"I know this is not g-going to be easy to hear, b-but I..I..I'm.." he moaned and rubbed his temples.

Her face fell, "Though you were gonna tell me, not whine like a little-"

Looking up, his eyes met hers and he nearly blurted it out right then. Instead, he thought of a different approach. In times like this, words had always failed him, so why not show her how he felt instead? Cupping her face in his hands, he pulled her close and kissed her deeply, and at first she protested, but quickly melted into his embrace, slipping her arms around his back, loathe to admit as annoyed as she was with him that she had missed this.

They pulled back and Jessie licked her lip, savoring the taste of his mouth, "What do you think you're doing?" she smiled, intentionally referencing their first kiss.

His face serious, he answered softly as he entwined his hand with hers, "What I should have done the first time..."

"Thought you were going to-"

He silenced her with a finger to her lips and grinned slightly, his eyes darkened with passion and she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Curious, she cocked her head as he peeled off her glove then his own, again tangling his fingers with hers before pulling her hand closer, kissing her fingertips, then her palm and finally her wrist. She drew a small, sharp breath, startled at how good this felt. Taking hold of the tiny zipper at the collar of her jacket, he quickly tugged it down, his eyes never leaving hers and she suddenly felt a rush of not just lust but a slight uncertain, even nervous, intoxicating thrill as she realized how much more serious he was acting than usual. This continued, with him reverently touching and kissing each newly exposed area of her body, her soft cries encouraging him until she was practically naked and he hastily tore off his own clothes, falling with her to the soft pile of sleeping bags they had moved to. Sticking his hand underneath his pillow, he snatched up the foil packet he had stashed there and fumbled with it's contents for a moment, cursing under his breath. She started to roll on top of him but he stopped her, instead positioning himself over her and she shot him an approving grin. Swiftly removing the last bits of clothing they still wore, he moved himself to enter her slowly, brushing his lips against hers and trying not to think about how this would probably be the last time they'd be together this way.

Impatient, she pushed her hips upward, wanting more but he shifted one knee to stop her, again grinning and leaned in to murmur against her ear, "This time we do things my way..." before gently nibbling the lobe.

Entranced by this change in his demeanor as well as the desire and lust in his eyes, she found herself unable to do anything but surrender. They moved together, completely lost in each other and if the world around them had fallen apart they wouldn't haven noticed. He didn't know if there was a heaven, and if there was he certainly wasn't headed there, but he felt this was as close as he was ever going to get; their breath and bodies tangled together, touching every inch of her silky skin, his name on her lips. All too soon, he felt his body begin to rebel against his heart, knowing he wouldn't be able to last very much longer but desperately wanting this to go on as long as possible before-

Feeling the tension coiling inside her, she tilted her head back and clutched his shoulders, "J-James...I'm-I need..."

Grabbing her hands, his laced their fingers together and driving himself deeper and faster, rested his forehead against hers, "Then fly with me-p-please Jessie-"

Moments later, she did, arching her back and loudly crying out. Finally unable to stand it he did as well, clinging to her and sobbing her name, and in between wet, tear-dampened kisses sputtered out the words he had been so afraid to say.

"I love you Jessie! I-I love you...I love you..."

It took a few moments for either of them to register what he had said, and being the first to recover to some degree, Jessie raised her head slightly to blink at him incredulously, "Wait. _What?_ "

Realizing his fatal error, James froze, "Um...I..."

Jessie disentangled herself from him, wriggling away to sit up and grabbed her blanket to pull it up and cover herself, suddenly feeling self-conscious, "Did you just say what I think you-?"

"Please, let me just..." James yanked his sleeping bag over himself and looked away, too scared now to face her, "I've-I've been meaning to tell you but I could never find the right time to-"

Face flushed, she interrupted him and said harshly, "I thought we talked about this! I thought we agreed to not complicate things-!"

Finally breaking down, James gently grasped her hands and tried to explain, his words tumbling out in a rushed, emotional jumble, "I'm sorry! I-I couldn't help myself! Jessie...you're amazing! You're so strong, and beautiful, and honestly I'd be more of a fool not to fall in love with-"

"Stop," she tore her hands away and stood, "Just...stop."

His heart breaking and eyes watering again, his shoulders drooped helplessly, "So you're saying that...?"

"What the hell do you think?!"

Snatching up her clothes, Jessie silently wriggled back into them and stomped off into the moonlit woods, leaving James to himself to weep miserably into his hands, cursing himself over and over again.

The next several days were severely awkward as the two humans tried to avoid each other as much as possible, and every time Meowth tried to press them for answers they dodged his questions or out-right told him to mind his own business. Finally, on the third day, as they drifted along and standing on opposite sides of their balloon's basket, Jessie noticed Meowth was fast asleep, curled up in a corner and took the opportunity to bring up the subject.

Drawing a deep breath and not looking at him, she asked, "Do you still...?"

James gripped the basket's edge, taken by surprise and unsure of what to say, "I...what do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"Then...yes."

They fell silent again for a while before Jessie spoke up again, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" James replied after a moment.

"For reacting like I did."

"I don't blame you. You're right. We agreed and I broke that agreement..."

Turning around, Jessie sighed sadly, "James?"

He glanced over his shoulder, then slowly turned to face her, "Yes?"

"I don't love you back. Not now, and I'm not sure I ever will..." she looked away and up at the blue sky, "But...it's not like it couldn't happen."

"Wait, really?" he felt the tiniest glimmer of hope warm his heart.

For the first time in days, she smiled at him and nodded slowly.

If they had finally captured Pikachu James couldn't have been happier. Cautiously, he crossed the basket and reached out one hand.

"Friends?"

Jessie's smiled broadened and she gripped his hand, "Friends..."

As the balloon drifted along, two figures inside stood much closer than they had been, appreciating the view around them, and especially next to them...


End file.
